Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not clearly and unmistakably show a pre-existing condition in either ear.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, or tinnitus that manifested during service or to a compensable degree within one year thereafter. Therefore, his claims for these conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was denied as there is no evidence that he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment solely because of his service-connected disabilities prior to September 27, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and PTSD were denied. The Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for his PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the VA audiometric examinations did not support findings warranting more than the assigned noncompensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding service treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board denied entitlement to an extraschedular rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the available schedular evaluations adequately considered the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 20% from December 16, 2014. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for any period of time.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his inability to attend the scheduled video conference hearing. His request for a different location was not accommodated, and he did not appear for his hearing.

The Veteran's non-compensable service-connected disabilities did not interfere with his employability prior to February 10, 2010. For the period beginning on February 10, 2010, there is no legal entitlement to a 10 percent disability evaluation as he is in receipt of a compensable rating for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hammertoes was granted with an effective date of April 11, 2010. His PTSD remains at a maximum evaluation of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and finds that tinnitus is service connected. The case is being remanded to address whether the left ear hearing loss at entry into service was aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disability and reopened the claims of right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current bilateral knee disability is etiologically related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted, with the Board finding that it was incurred in active service. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to additional development needed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine with spondylolisthesis and hearing loss. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. The reopened claim is addressed in the REMAND section.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as his last VA examination was in February 2014.